SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The Central Florida Expressway Authority on Thursday voted to move forward with Route 2A as the preferred option for a new two-mile connector linking State Road 417 directly to Orlando Sanford International Airport.
The vote came after more than a year of study reviewing five possible routes for the project. CFX officials say Route 2A offers the best balance between improving access to the airport and limiting impacts to homes and the environment.
“Where we find ourselves with economic development, as well as the development of the community itself and our international airport, is if this does not move forward now, it’ll never happen,” said Seminole County Commissioner Jay Zembower. “It would totally be grid-locking this area.”
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
The project was first studied in 2007 but was put on hold for more than a decade. In 2022, Seminole County asked CFX to revisit the proposal as traffic around the airport continued to grow.
Officials say the connector is expected to ease congestion on local roads such as East Lake Mary Boulevard and make the airport easier to reach.
“It’s huge, the sooner the better,” said Ross Macbeth, who was picking up his wife at the airport. “People from out of town, they don’t usually fly out of here, and it’s very hard to find.”
While the plan is being welcomed by drivers, not everyone is celebrating. Some nearby residents say they’re concerned about losing their homes or property, since the new roadway could cut through parts of a residential area.
“We know it impacts people, we’re sorry it impacts folks, but typically, financially, these residents come out much further ahead,” Zembower said.
With Thursday’s approval, the project now moves into the design and environmental review phase, which officials say will take several years before construction begins.
[WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Public hearings set for proposed toll road connecting SR-417 to Sanford airport]